Wily and suave buccaneer Blackie (a smooth and charming portrayal by the always solid Terence Hill) clashes with several fellow pirate captains while trying to get exclusive dibs on both a fortune in gold and enticing fair damsel Isabel (the ravishing Silvia Monti). Director Lorenzo Gicca Palli and screenwriter George Martin (who also appears in the movie as Blackie's bumbling destitute partner Don Predro) concoct an amiably silly tongue-in-cheek swashbuckler that unfolds at a steady pace while offering a winning blend of colorful characters, a flavorsome period setting (the sets and costumes are both impressively lavish), and plenty of lively action which includes the expected rousing sword fights and no-holds-barred rough'n'tumble fisticuffs. This jolly affair further benefits from spirited acting from an engaging cast: Hill displays his usual affable charisma as Blackie, Monti is simply luscious as Isabel, Bud Spencer is suitably redoubtable as Blackie's gruff rival Skull, plus there are neat supporting contributions by Diana Lorys as feisty barmaid Manuela, Edmund Purdom as the irritable viceroy, Monica Randall as the fetching Carmen, Sal Borgese as the kindly Martin, Pasquale Basile as primitive brute Stiller, and Fernando Bilbao as hulking strongman Moko. Jaime Deu Casas' polished cinematography gives the picture a nice sense of scope. Gino Peguri's jaunty score likewise hits the cheery spot. An enjoyable flick.
Review of Blackie the Pirate
